As Nigerians responded with spontaneous celebration of the news that Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) is being knocked off the country, minister of Health, Professor Onyebuchi Chukwu has cautioned against over-reaction. Professor Onyebuchi made it clear that as long as there is still one patient undergoing medical attention, Nigeria is not yet out of the wood. The minister, who spoke to newsmen shortly after the meeting of the weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC), at the Aso Presidential Villa, Abuja today, said that even if eventually Nigeria gets over Ebola, it would still not be time for jubilation. “The only time for us to jubilate is when the disease is cleared from the earth. While Nigeria has successfully contained Ebola, it hasn’t eliminated the disease. As we speak, there is a case we are still managing. And even that case we are still managing must also have had her own third degree contacts, many of whom are part of this number of people that are under surveillance.
“So until we give a clean bill of health to every contact, we cannot even say we have eliminated the disease” professor Onyebuchi said that Nigeria will remain at risk to Ebola and will only stop being at risk when the very last case of Ebola virus disease under this current epidemic has gone.
“It is still possible that Nigeria may record between 1 to 3 new cases because there are people under surveillance. There is still a chance one of the people under surveillance may fall sick and test positive.
“We have done well on containment but by no means have we eliminated the problem in Nigeria.” On the closure of schools across the country, the minister said that it has become necessary because the government would not want to take any chances.
“What will guide when schools will open will be when we issue advice to the rest of the government that we think we have dealt with all the contacts.” [myad]
President Goodluck Jonathan has protested to the United Nations over the stigmatization of Nigerians by some countries over recent cases of the Ebola Virus Disease in the country.
The President spoke today at an audience with the Special Envoy of the United Nations Secretary-General, Mr. David Navarro at the Presidential Villa, Abuja today.
Jonathan particularly denounced discriminatory actions such as that which forced Nigeria’s team to the Youth Olympics in China to abandon its participation, saying that there is no justification for such stigmatization of Nigerians since the Ebola Virus Disease has been effectively contained in the country and never attained epidemic levels.
He called for the cessation of discriminatory actions against Nigerians over the virus even as he asked the UN Secretary General, Mr. Ban Ki Moon to support the call.
President Jonathan praised the Federal Ministry of Health, the Lagos State Government and all Nigerians for the success achieved so far in containing the virus and avoiding a national epidemic.
“All hands have been on deck to contain the virus here. I commend my team and the Lagos State Government. We have been able to set politics aside and work in unison to deal with a national threat.
“All other Nigerians have played a part too by complying with the directives and advice we have issued to stop the virus from spreading any further. The success we have had is a testimony to what we can achieve as people if we set aside our differences and work together.”
The President assured the Special Envoy that in spite of the seeming success of its containment measures, the Federal Government and its agencies will remain vigilant to guard against further cases of Ebola in the country.
“We will continue to monitor the situation and we will also support other affected African countries as much as we can because we cannot be completely safe from the virus as long as it continues to ravage some countries in our sub-region and continent. We will continue to work with the international community to curb the outbreak in other countries,” President Jonathan pledged.
Mr. Navarro who had visited Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone, the countries worst hit by Ebola before coming to Nigeria, told the President that he had come, on the instruction of the UN Secretary-General, to applaud Nigeria’s successful containment of the virus.
“The Secretary-General asked me to come here too, not because you have an Ebola problem, but because you have tackled it in an exemplary fashion.
“Your personal leadership on the matter has been key. There may still be some work to be done before the virus is completely cleared out from here, but other countries can learn from your fine example,” Mr. Navarro told the President. [myad]
Nigeria appears to be getting over the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) as the health minister, Professor Onyebuchi Chukwu has announced that is only one case now that is on the ground. Onyebuchi Chukwu gladly announced that Nigeria has brought the disease under control.
Two treated patients, a male doctor and a female nurse, were discharged on Monday evening, having satisfied the criteria for discharge, he said in a press statement signed by his spokesman, Dan Nwomeh.
Dr. Chukwu described the lone confirmed case as a secondary contact of Mr. Patrick Sawyer, the Liberian-American who brought the disease into Nigeria, and a spouse of one of the physicians who participated in the management of the index case.
“She is stable but still on treatment at the Isolation ward in Lagos,” the statement said.
Noting that today is the 38th day since EVD entered Nigeria through Mr. Sawyer, the Minister restated that there have so far been 13 cases of EVD, including the index case.
“Of these thirteen (13), five (5), including the index case unfortunately did not survive the disease and are now late. However, seven (7) of the infected persons were successfully managed at the Isolation ward in Lagos and have been discharged home.”
He observed that all the reported cases of the EVD in Nigeria have their root in Mr. Sawyer the index case, an indication that, thus far, Nigeria has contained the disease outbreak.
“I wish to reassure Nigerians and indeed the global community that the Government shall remain vigilant and will not relent as Government continues to work with her partners to ensure that the disease is kept out of the country,” Professor Chukwu said.
The story of the National Conference is like the parable of the sick fish when it tried to swallow a by far healthier one. The outcome is foreknown. But lessons, by both sides, must be learnt.
There are a dozen-plus reasons why the national will triumphed over sectional, narrow selfish interest and the North saved the Presidential hammer but I am doubtful if the editor will give me enough space to say them all. It suffices to say, for an opening shot that this country has lived true to its living history, which is that no ruler, from independence to date who sets out to change the national will has succeeded, so long as the motive is malicious. The most successful of these conferences, the one by General Murtala Mohammed went so far because the late Military ruler didn’t set out saying “I can change the national will.” He had national interest in mind. It was equally helped by the fact that the timing of his conference was right.
In the case of the present government, they embarked upon the so-called national conference with an open bias, starting with deliberate imbalances in representation in religion, ethnicity and region. There was a manifest ill-motive against the North and moreso the Muslim sections of the region.
As rightly pointed out by many, the North was targeted notably through the outright subversion of its real-time majority.
This notwithstanding, the North resolved an important question early on, which is to attend the conference, and to not walkout under all circumstances in order not to confirm pre-conceived notions of fear on the part of its people against dialogue and negotiation. Without a prepared position and set agenda, the North entered the Conference with a broken leg. Without malice aforethought, its delegates presented themselves wielding neither creed nor script. Unlike the others, they were merely absorptive and defensive as they carried on in the roll-back mode throughout. There was no creative paradigm from Arewa. But this was later to prove to be an advantage because, it meant that delegates were free to reason, use commonsense, logic and fair-dealing as their instruments of engagement.
The South-South, strongly backed by the South-East, the South-West and breakaway factions from the North Central had, on the other hand, come with strong assumptions about themselves, grievances and a sense of entitlement. They came with demands so exaggerated that is astounded even their more reasonable supporters in the other regions. If this was a ploy for negotiation, it was one that backfired and achieved nothing. They forgot decorum and isolated the North for insults, in their belief that the region stood in their way of getting what they wanted. They carried about with a sense that their own was in power and they could afford anything and anybody and not a few from the North caved in to this. The obstacle they had, doing whatever they wanted was that this Conference was different from political party horse-trading and so money exchange could not work, and did not work.
In line with the ill-motive of the convener, procedures were themselves titled against the object of attack and listening to conference delegates speak on this, it is amazing that the Conference Chair displayed a relentless contempt throughout, against people who thought they had everything in common with him. At one meeting called to resolve the knotty issue of rigged procedure and of hidden agenda, the former Chief Justice of the Federation reportedly told Northern delegates to feel free to walkout; “you are a minority”, he reportedly said. His countenance however changed when he met the other half of the country. Without Professor Akinyemi’s diplomacy and intellect, even though he too had a huge blemish of his own for projecting himself as the Jonathanian constitution horse-trader, the Conference will have crashed on Kutigi’s persona, which many delegates believe is much overrated.
But of all the things that worked against the design to rubbish the national will and smash up the North, was the Delta delegates’ lack of diplomacy; their exaggerated sense of entitlement; the discourtesy and sometimes rude remarks, which unexpectedly, garnered sympathy for the North even among many of South’s delegates, many of whom became apprehensive of the South-South’s tackles. Event the government’s hand-picked delegates were reluctant to go as far with the President’s men for the fear of being tagged as lackeys and fifth columnists. In addition, most delegates appeared unprepared to give credence to the assumption that Nigeria was on the brink, and no one, certainly will like to be on record as the precursor of the country’s break up.
I did mention the fact of the wrong timing of the conference earlier. Coming against the backdrop of the imminent election, in 2015, all were conscious of the fear of causing its disruption, much as this was evidently the wish of some of the delegates fronting for the President. The negative effect of this was that every issue raised and discussed was viewed against two things – the interest of the President and the election in which he will stand as a candidate. This underlying reason was why the subterranean effort to turn the National Conference into a Constitutional Conference also failed.
In the end, it was clear that the nation triumphed because of one, the over-riding commitment to national interest by a majority of delegates, as well as for the realization albeit belatedly, on the part of some of the regions that their over-arching business, commercial and other economic interests stood to be derogated upon if the Conference succumbed to the aggregate of issues tendered by oil-bearing (not oil-producing) states, that wanted derivation, not as a cut but the whole beef
One of the founders of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu has said that Malam Nuhu Ribadu, until last week, a strong member of his party, but defected to the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is still his friend.
Late last week, Ribadu, who was the founding chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, announced his resignation from the APC and his decision to seek the governorship of Adamawa State on the ticket of the PDP.
In a tweet earlier today, Tinubu, a former governor of Lagos State and the main financier of the APC, said he wished his former political associate luck with President Goodluck Jonathan.
Using his Twitter handle, @asiwajutinubu, Tinubu wrote: “Ribadu remains a friend & brother. He is matured (sic). He remains one who believes in liberty, justice and service. I wish him LUCK with GOODLUCK.”
Ribadu’s defection to the PDP was seen as significant blow to the APC which is regarded as Nigeria’s main opposition party, even though critics accuse the party of doing little to articulate an alternative program for Nigeria or to ideologically distinguish itself from the ruling PDP. Many of the party’s major figures are disaffected former members of the ruling party.
In 2011, Tinubu supported Ribadu as the presidential candidate of the now defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN). The collaboration of the two men was seen as politically odd, since the former EFCC chairman had once listed then Governor Tinubu as one of Nigeria’s most corrupt public officials.
During Ribadu’s chairmanship of the anti-corruption agency, the EFCC had also indicted President Goodluck Jonathan—then the governor of Bayelsa State—and his wife, Patience Jonathan, for extensive money laundering and looting of public funds.
One of the national chairmanship aspirants in the recent concluded national convention of the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Tom Ikimi has walked out on the party.
The dumping of the party climaxed weeks of speculation that he would leave and join the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) amidst crisis that has been rocking APC since the national convention in June this year.
In a statement today, Ikimi said: “I have made the decision to withdraw my membership from the All Progressives Congress (APC) from today, 27th August 2014.” Chief Ikimi did not say where he would go from here, even as an opening has been made for the PDP to go canvassing for him to join the party.
The APC national convention in June brought John Oyegun in as national chairman.
Flash floods brought on by heavy rain in southern South Korea have swallowed a moving bus, leading to the death of five people near the southern city of Changwon, in South Korea.
Officials say that four people were killed after heavy rain battered parts of the Busan, South Korea’s second-largest city, saying that the victims drowned in their car after driving through a submerged city underpass.
An engineer is also believed to be missing after checking basement power lines in a flooded building.
Monday’s heavy rain also disrupted train services in Busan, and a nuclear power plant was forced to halt operations after a cooling facility became flooded. Weather officials said that more heavy rain was forecast.
Super Eagles chief coach, Stephen Keshi, who announced that he had moved on, as talks about his re-engagement by the Nigerian Football Federation lingered on, has said he is back to the team.
Stephen Keshi confirmed that he will return to the helm of the Nigerian national team for their two 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Congo and South Africa. The coach said he return was as a result of the call by the Nigerian sports minister, Dr. Tammy Danagogo that he should take the reins for the two qualifiers.
“The Minister has asked me to come take charge of these matches while the NFF situation is sorted out.”
“I am a Nigerian and love to contribute to anything that will help my fatherland always.”
The ex-Super Eagles captain had been locked in negotiations over a new contract with the troubled NFF since the end of the World Cup and only just last week, he decided to walk away after delays in the discussions. He has however expressed the hope that he would finalize the terms to remain in charge of the reigning African champions.
“Yes, we have been discussing about a new contract. The documents are with my lawyers and we are hopefully going to find a level ground so we can move on. In the meantime, we have to get through these qualifiers first.”
The project director of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Professor Abdulsalami Nasidi has said that Nigeria can eradicate the deadly Ebola epidemic from the country by September if it sustains its current efforts at tackling the disease.
Professor Nasidi made this known in his presentation at a workshop, organised by the National Biotechnology Development Agency (NABDA) on Molecular Diagnosis and Treatment for Hemorrhagic and Zoonotic Viral Diseases, yesterday in Abuja.
“Let me say here that if the current efforts at tackling the disease are sustained, we should be able to defeat Ebola on or before September 6, 2014. But, that is not say the threat of reappearance will no longer be there.”
Professor Nasidi, who said Ebola is already on its way out of the nation, urged Nigerians to stop panicking over disease, adding that it is not as deadly as it is being painted. He said that the virus is not easily contactable until the living host becomes visibly sick.
He commended President Goodluck Jonathan, Governor Babatunde Fashola and Minister of Health, Prof Onyebuchi Chukwu, for the support given to health workers to confront the virus.
“The president should be commended because he came back from a trip when the virus landed in the nation and swiftly went into action by championing the cause of containing the disease, and made funds available to that effect. The minister and governor are excellent people; their performance was excellent because they acted swiftly and decisively to bring the situation under control.”
He further condemned the call by some embassies for intending travellers to present an Ebola-free certificate, describing it as unnecessary.
“You only need to screen (the blood of) those who have come in contact with an infected person, not everybody. Asking everybody to screen their blood for Ebola is out of WHO’s recommendation.”
The federal government, he added, is already taking it up with embassies that now put this as one of the requirements for visa processing.
Enugu state House of Assembly has finally impeached the state Deputy Governor, Sunday Onyebuchi. He was impeached this morning following the adoption of the report of the 7-man panel that investigated allegations of gross misconduct leveled against him by 22 out of the 24 members of the House.
The House Leader, Hon. S.K.E. Udeh-Okoye who moved motion for the adoption of the report said the panel of investigation had come up with the conclusion that the “allegations of gross misconduct leveled against Onyebuchi by the House have been proved.”
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As Nigerians responded with spontaneous celebration of the news that Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) is being knocked off the country, minister of Health, Professor Onyebuchi Chukwu has cautioned against over-reaction.
One of the founders of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu has said that Malam Nuhu Ribadu, until last week, a strong member of his party, but defected to the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is still his friend.
Flash floods brought on by heavy rain in southern South Korea have swallowed a moving bus, leading to the death of five people near the southern city of Changwon, in South Korea.
